New Orleans Saints Trade Back in Third Round for DT John Jenkins

The New Orleans Saints selected John Jenkins with the 82nd pick in the 2013 NFL Draft

JOHNATHAN “John” JENKINS

Nose Guard/Defensive Tackle

University of Georgia Bulldogs #6

6:03.7-359

Meriden, Connecticut

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Francis

T. Maloney High School

OVERVIEW

For the last two seasons, the 359-pound Jenkins and the 355-pound Kwame Geathers manned the nose guard position for the Bulldogs, sending many running backs and quarterbacks scurrying to escape getting engulfed by perhaps the biggest set of interior defenders the college ranks has ever seen. Every member of the Bulldogs’ coaching staff will point to Jenkins as the major reason for the team’s success in the won/lost column the last two seasons. Only sixteen ball carriers found the end zone vs. Georgia in 2011. While Jenkins often took on multiple blockers on virtually every play, it allowed others to make the tackles. And that they did – registering 100 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including 35 sacks while causing 20 interceptions on the 158 pressures the squad generated. The team would finish with a 10-4 record for the 2011 campaign. Better things were on the way for 2012. With a year under his belt as a Bulldog, Jenkins was even more dominant as a senior. Jenkins continued to free up teammates to make the plays. Georgia yielded just 17 rushing touchdowns in 2012, as the defense posted 91 tackles-for-loss, posted 32 sacks and saw 13 of their 154 QB pressures lead to interceptions. Jenkins’ road to Athens began at Francis T. Maloney High School, where the defensive end and offensive tackle was also utilized as a blocking fullback and as a ball carrier in short-yardage situations, scoring four times during his senior campaign. The 320-pound senior made the All-Central Connecticut South League squad. Jenkins also competed as a forward for the Maloney High basketball team. As a junior, he helped the Spartans capture the South League title after compiling a 27-1 record to rank third on the state’s final poll. He enrolled at junior college powerhouse Gulf Coast College. As a freshman, the nose guard appeared in six games, registering three sacks and four stops behind the line of scrimmage among his nine tackles. He also continued to play on the offensive side of the ball, carrying six times for 41 yards. He tallied 40 of those yards on five attempts that included a touchdown vs. Coahoma CC. Jenkins returned to Gulf Coast CC for his sophomore year and soon, the recruiters began flocking to see him play. He was rated the 11th-best player in the junior college ranks and seventh-best defensive tackle in the country while receiving a four-star grade from Scout.com. Rivals.com also placed a four-star prospect mark on the nose guard, along with adding him to their JUCO Top 50 squad. In 2010, Jenkins started all 10 games, recording 41 tackles (32 solos) with a pair of sacks, four stops-for-loss and a pair of pass deflections. He posted six tackles in each of the Jones City, Southwest Mississippi and Northwestern Mississippi clashes, adding seven more vs. Coahoma. He also ran for a 4-yard touchdown in the Grand Rapids clash. Jenkins ultimately decided to join Mark Richt and the University of Georgia Bulldogs. But, before he would even suit up for the team, he had one piece of unfinished business to deal with – meeting the player he would be sharing nose guard duties with and replacing as the starter, Kwame Geathers. Jenkins shared nose guard duties with Geathers in 2011, starting seven of the 14 games he played in. He was named the team’s Newcomer of the Year after posting 28 tackles that included three sacks and six tackles-for-loss. He also excelled at riding the centers and offensive guards back into the pocket, as his 10 quarterback pressures led all interior defensive linemen in the Southeastern Conference that year. Jenkins performance as a junior said all the right things to the Georgia coaching staff. He followed through with his promise that he had intended on doing all the right things when he arrived in Athens. In 2012, the nation and the National Football League scouts all took notice. The senior started all 14 games for the Bulldogs.

Jenkins would earn All-American and All-Southeastern Conference recognition for his performance. He started the team’s first 13 games, registering 50 tackles (22 solos) that included a sack, two stops behind the line of scrimmage and 14 pressures. When you mention the name “Gulf Coast” at the Senior Bowl, people know exactly what college you’re talking about. For the fourth straight year, a former Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College standout player suited up at the annual event. Jenkins is the latest product, as he followed running back Vick Ballard (Miss. State), Chris White (Miss. State), and nose guard Terrence Cody (Alabama) as MGCCC alums that got a chance to perform in front of NFL coaches and scouts. Cody, White, and Ballard are all now playing on Sundays, and Jenkins is preparing to be the next one suiting up for an NFL team. In analyzing Jenkins as a pro prospect, one has to look at his imposing frame. He has a thick chest, big back, broad shoulders and very big arms and hands. He also has a good bubble, wide hips, thick thighs and calves. Despite his thick frame, he could actually carry another 10-to-15 pounds with no loss in quickness. Jenkins is a tall, physical and powerful athlete with very good flexibility for a player of his size. He has good change of direction agility and moves well in the open. He is very explosive coming off the snap and is a good pursuit player with nimble feet working down the line. He uses his frame well to get leverage and defeat blocks. The thing you see on film is his ability to redirect and chase the ball. With his big, strong hands, body mass and aggression, Jenkins excels at shutting down the interior running game. He can split double teams consistently with leverage. He is quick to recover and create a pile. He is almost always double teamed, but once he sets his anchor, he is impossible to move out. Jenkins is used more to neutralize the inside running game rather than give chase. He plays with good leverage and flexibility, knowing how to use his size and long arms to engulf the ball carrier. He will collide and wrap with good force and can be a bruising striker in tight quarters if he chooses to use his hands more often. He can level the ball carrier or push the pocket with his quick burst and does a very nice job of breaking down when working in space. It’s like having two defensive linemen wrapped into one with Jenkins in the middle of the line. He plays with very good leverage and when he keeps his pad level down, Jenkins can hold the point. He has the tools that are ideally suited for either the one- or two-gap, but also shows nimble feet to be utilized some at defensive end. Jenkins has learned how to use his hands in order to protect his legs. What really stands out is his ability to stack and control the line of scrimmage. He gets such a strong push off the snap, offensive linemen are immediately neutralized and the inside rush lanes get clogged.

CAREER NOTES Jenkins started 20-of-27 games at the University of Georgia, where he recorded 78 tackles (36 solos), four sacks for minus 26 yards, eight stops for losses of 32 yards and 24 quarterback pressures…Intercepted one pass, deflected another, recovered a pair of fumbles and caused another.

2012 SEASON An All-American Dream Team selection by The NFL Draft Report, Jenkins received All-Southeastern Conference secondteam honors from Phil Steele…Started the team’s first 13 games at nose guard, and ended his campaign with 50 tackles (22 solos), a 9-yard sack, two stops for minus 11 yards and 14 quarterback pressures…Recovered a fumble and deflected one pass…Named the team’s Defensive Co-MVP and was the recipient of Jeff and Stacey Rothenberger Family Football Scholarship…Opened the season with six tackles vs. Buffalo and made five hits (4 solos) that included one behind the line of scrimmage…Registered eight tackles (5 solos) and blocked a field goal vs. South Carolina…Registered a Bulldog career-high 11 tackles (4 solos) vs. Georgia Tech, followed by six tackles that included a 9-yard sack while adding a pressure vs. Alabama in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game.

2011 SEASON The recipient of the team’s Newcomer of the Year Award, Jenkins appeared in all 14 games during his first season at Georgia…Recorded 28 tackles (14 solos) that included three sacks for minus 17 yards, six stops for losses of 21 yards and 10 quarterback pressures…Caused and recovered a fumble…His first sack for Georgia was good for an 8-yard loss, adding two stops behind the line of scrimmage among his three solo hits vs. Mississippi State…Caused a fumble and posted five tackles in the New Mexico State clash…Added a 3-yard sack and a pressure, along with three hits vs. Auburn…Had six tackles (4 solos) with a 6-yard sack and two stops-for-loss at Georgia Tech…Picked off a pass vs. Michigan State in the Outback Bowl.

HIGH SCHOOL Jenkins attended Francis T. Maloney (Meriden, Ct.) High School, playing football for head coach Bob Zito...The defensive end and offensive tackle was also utilized as a blocking fullback and as a ball carrier in short-yardage situations, scoring four times during his senior campaign…The 320-pound senior made the All-Central Connecticut South League squad…Also competed as a forward for the Maloney High basketball team…As a junior, he helped the Spartans capture the South League title after compiling a 27-1 record to rank third on the state’s final poll

PERSONAL Child & Family Development major…Born 7/11/89…Resides in Meriden, Connecticut.